The functional properties of fresh fish meat described above are very important for the processing and utilization of fish meat. The functional properties are degraded in proportion as the denaturation of fish meat proteins progresses. To obtain fish meat powder which retains the functional properties, therefore, it is important that in the course of production of fish meat powder the fish meat proteins be prevented from being denatured.
In recent years, with a view to enhancing the properties of fish meat raw materials for food processing, a technique for the production of fish meat powder retaining the functional properties of fresh fish meat has been developed. Problems are met, however, in the production of such fish meat powder and these problems originate in the difficulty of spray drying a fish meat slurry owing to the high viscosity of the slurry. Therefore, need exists for perfection of a method which lowers the viscosity of fish meat slurry without impairing the inherent functional properties of fresh fish meat and consequently permits the desired spray drying operation to be carried out efficiently.